1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to article handling systems, and particularly to ammunition handling systems for rapid-fire guns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ammunition handling systems include a container or magazine in which ammunition rounds are packaged and a feeder for withdrawing rounds from the magazine for delivery to the gun on demand and in rapid succession. The ammunition is packaged in the magazine either as linked or linkless (loose) ammunition. The rounds of linked ammunition are interconnected to form an elongated belt which is drawn from the magazine to feed rounds successively to the gun. In the case of linkless ammunition, the rounds are not interconnected, and thus the magazine must be interiorly equipped with a powered conveyor for transporting the loose rounds through the magazine to an exit port. Since the conveyor must move at high velocities to satisfy the rapid-fire capabilities of modern guns, absolute and continuous control of round movement throughout the magazine interior must be maintained. To achieve this, the conveyor is equipped with round carriers uniformly distributed along its length. These carriers, with the aid of stationary magazine guide surfaces, can effectively secure the rounds to the conveyor such that they reliably follow the conveyor path through the magazine, which is typically tortuous, e.g., serpentine, to maximize packaging density.
One problem indigenous to all linear linkless ammunition feeding systems (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,469 issued July 24, 1973 to E. Ashley) is reloading the magazine with live rounds of ammunition. This procedure requires that the magazine conveyor be cycled to successively present empty conveyor carriers at a magazine reloading port for acceptance of live rounds. If the resupply of live rounds is in the form of linked ammunition, reloading equipment must first unlink the rounds before delivering them to the reloading port for handoff to the magazine conveyor carriers. Typically, frequent stoppage is involved to avoid jamming due to misaligned clips or links. Thus, constant vigilance is required of skilled personnel to assure uniform reloading of the magazine conveyor with linkless ammunition rounds from a resupply of linked ammunition. This procedure is time consuming, requires special reloading equipment, and involves several, well trained technicians.
Reloading from a resupply of linkless ammunition (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,704, issued Oct. 10, 1972 to L. F. Backus et al.) involves many of the same drawbacks. This approach requires a rather elaborate reloading system including a loading conveyor which must be cycled in synchronism with the magazine conveyor to withdraw live rounds from a bulk storage container and a transfer mechanism for picking rounds from the loading conveyor and handing them off to the magazine conveyor. Having such an elaborate reloading system available at a forward area rearming position presents significant logistical problems. In addition, an adequate source of power to cycle both linear linkless conveyors may not be readily available.
Aside from reloading considerations, linear linkless ammunition feeding systems require considerable maintenance. A breakdown in the field invariably requires depot service, which means that the gun system served by the feed system is out of action until repairs are effected. An additional disadvantage of linear linkless ammunition feed systems is that the magazine is of significant weight even when empty. In airborne applications, this empty weight limits the amount of alternative armament, such as rockets or missiles, and/or auxiliary fuel tanks an aircraft safety can carry.